Vacuum feed system



G. C. NELSON VACUUM FEED SYSTEM Filed July 19 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6'arbarefar Eat a NEL$N VACUUM FEED SYSTEM Filed July '19, 1926 fiiizwts shwt 2 ,Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

- ularly e GUSTAVE C. NELSON, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS,

V 1,481,877" PATEN OFF-ICE:

ASSIGNOR TO THE BORG & BECK COMPANY,

OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

VACUUM FEED SYSTEM.

Application filed July' 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAvn C. NnnsoN, a citizen of the United .States, residing at Moline, in the .county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Vacuum Feed Systems, of which the following is a specification."

This invention relates to liauid fuel sys terns for explosiveengines an it is particuseful as: an accessory to an automobi or truck engine.

v The primary object of theinvention to provide means of simple and substantial construction, and comprising comparatively few and easily made parts, for connection with the fuel supply tank and the intake manifold of the engine whereby a constantand regular gravity fuel feed to the engine will always be maintained. A 7

Another important object of -the"'invention is to provide for a quick kick-over?v which is a term employed in the trade to indicate the change between the vacuum producing position and the atmospheric pressure position, to prevent the cut-off from fluttering or floating between said positions.

A further object is to provide a float operated cut-ofi' for thevacuum connection and the receiving chamber airvent and means for retarding the ope-ration of the cut-ofli to close the vacuum connection until the liquid in the receiving chamber has reached a-level which will provide an excess buoyancy for the-float sufiicient to overcome said retarding means and quickly operate the cut-ofi' to close the vacuum connection. Further objects of the invention are to provide a single cut-ofi' disk for the vacuum connection and the receiving chamber air vent with means for insuringefiicient operation and true seating thereof under all usual conditions of service; to produce a revolving movement of the float and cut-oil disk whereby to insure their maintenance'in good working condition; to eliminatedelicate construction, complicated moving parts, springs and valve mechanisms which-wear and get out of order and cause more or less annoyance to users; and. to insure a constant and regulated feedto' the engine.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the invention in two selected embodiments and referringthereto j Fig. '1 is a vertical sectional view of a 1920. Serial No. 397,394.

tank, as commonly referred to in the trade embodying my invention in a preferre form. a

' Fig.- 2 is an elevation of the head and float transverse to the position shown in Fig. I.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of a tank showing the air vent for the feed chamber located on the outside of the-tank. Referring .to the drawings, 1 is a tank havm a top 2 and a bottom 3 with an in- 'te'rme iate partition i dividing the tank into a receiving chamber 5 and a feed chamber 6. For convenience in manufacturing, I maymake the partition'4 as a bottom for'the receiving chamber and with the feed chamber a separate part secured to said bottom as shown. A conduit 7 extends from the bottom .of the receiving chamber into'the feed chamber and it is provided at its lower end with a flap valve 8. A tube 9 is mounted in the bottom 4 and to 2 of the receiving chamber and projects t erethrough to provide a constantly open air vent for the feed chamber. A float 10 is carried by a sleeve 11 which has a free working fit upon the tube 9 and is provided at its Upper end with a cut-off disk 12. The'float may be provided with a conical top 10 and a conical bottom 10" as shown, the same having been found to be a desirable construction in actual practice, but I have also found that other forms of floats of common construc tion may be satisfactorily used and I do not limit myself to the particular construction illustrated because it may be found in commerical'practice or for special reasons that other forms are more desirable.

In the present invention the topnof the tank is provided with a downward extension 13 and the top and extension may be said to form the head of the tank. This e'xten .sio'n may vary in size but I have found it convenient to make it of substantially semicircular shape with a centrally disposed 100 opening 13' through which the vent tube 9 projects and into which the sleeve 11 projects. A slot-14 is cut in the head to receive the cut-off disk 12 and this slot is of satisfactory results. I do not limit myself to particular dimensions in this or any other parts or features of the invention because I realize they may be changed without dechamber.

parting from the invention to meet different conditions and to produce the desired results. A vacuum producing connection 15 in 'the head is connected by a pipe (not shown) to the intake manifold of the engine and opens into the slot 14 at the top thereof and on one side of the vent tube 9. An air vent 16 is also provided in the head, preferably on the opposite side of the vent tube 9, and opens into the slot 14 at the bottom thereof. prefer to locate the vacuum connection and the air vent on opposite sides of the tube 9 and distant from each other to prevent any possibility of a direct connection during suction operation between the vacuum connection and the air vent which would have a tendency to float the disk, and, perhaps, mpart a fluttering action thereto.

I provide one or more vacuum cups in the head below the opt-oft disk to hold the disk and temporarily retard it against upward movement under the buoyant action of the infiowing liquid in the receiving The vacuum cup comprises a chamber 17 opening into slot 14 at the bottom thereof and provided with a contracted opening l8 at its lower end to the receiving chamber 5. I have used one of these vacuum cups in substantially the form and location shown in Fig. 1 and found it efficient and satisfactory for the purpose butI may provide another vacuum cup in the head between the one shown and the air passage 16, or otherwise located, or I may use more than two cups if conditions require it or a plurality of cups may be found desirable.

The supply inlet 19 may be located in the ead, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or in the side of the receiving chamber as shown at 19 in Fig. 3. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I prefer to continue the inlet down through the head and within the chamber to a position sufficiently above the float to permit a full and complete operation of the float under all required conditions but distant from the vacuum connection so that possibility of liquid fuel being sucked directly from the inlet through the vacuum connection to the intake manifold is wholly avoided.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the air vent 20 for the feed chamber 6 located outside of the tank instead of inside of the tank as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this being an alternative construction which may be found desirable for some purposes. flows from the feed chamber through an outlet 21 which is connected by a pipe (not shown) to the carburetor in a manner familiar in the art. In the construction of Fig.

3 the float, sleeve and disk are guided on the they must subjected.

The liquid fuelv rod 9 which takes the place of the vent tube 9 in the construction of Figs. 1 and 2.

My invention provides a device or apparatus of extremely simple construction which comprises only one movable part, aside from the flap valve, and is entirely free from delicate and complicated parts and from parts which are liable to get out of order or wear rapidly. This is of great importance in connection with the vacuum tanks for automobiles and trucks because of the service which perform and the comparatively irregular use to which they are In the present invention as illustrated in what I- now consider its most desirableembodiment, the float is rigidly connected by sleeve 11 with the single cut-off disk and this disk alternately opens and closes the vacuum connection and the air vent. The action of the disk may be sufficiently quick for some purposes when inhard and 1n the receiving chamber but'for more effi-' cient operation, that is to say, a quicker kick-over, I prefer to provide the vacuum cup which holds, by suction, the disk against the lower seat in the slot until the liquid has reached a higher level than is necessary to fioat the float so that when the buoyancy of the liquid finally releases the disk from the suction of the vacuum cup the buoyant action of the liquid will not only float the float and raise the disk but it will perform this action very quickly, much quicker than if'the disk were unrestrained. This will quickly cut-off the vacuum connection, open the air vent to the receiving chamber and stop the inflow of liquid to the receiving chamber.- The float, sleeve and cut-off disk are restrained from excess lateral movement by the guide tube 9 or uide rod 9 but these parts have a free wor ing fit on the guide and the suction of the suction cup will overcome any tendency to lateral movement which would be permitted by this working fit and thus insure proper seating of the disk against the lower seat to close the air inlet. Thus the working fit may be sufliciently free to prqyide an easy movement of the parts without liability of unseating the disk from its lower seat in ordinary service.

The movement of the c-ut-ofi' disk in its kick-over' is very slight and my invention entirely avoids the possibility of the disk being suspended between its two seats which and the air inlet open at the same time, destroy the vacuum, or partial vacuum, in the receiving chamber and stop the inflow of liquid thereinto, and as the vacuum connection would suck air freely from the air inlet direct 'to the manifold thev predetermined carburetor mixture would be destroyed and the operation of the engine would be reduced in efiiciency. I have would leave the vacuum connection found it desirable *to makethe air inlet in correspondingly delicate but on the contrary they are strong and substantial and will withstand any amount of rough usa e and wear to which they are likely to be su jected. This is important to motorists because automobiles and trucks equipped with i I Y tremely diiiicult to maintain the car tempo- 'rarily inservice until a place can be reached vacuum tanks are Wholly dependent on the proper operationof the vacuum system for maintaining the cars and trucks in service, and if the vacuum system gets out of order. and does not operate properly, it is exwhere repairs may be made.

The suction cup also has the further function of'a safety device not only by providing a quick kick-over but also in prevent- .ing the possibility of the liquid fuel being sucked through the, vacuum connection to the manifold. If by chance the disk should not shift from the lower seat to the upper seat to open the air inlet and close the suc-, tion connection until the level of the liquid reaches the opening 18, then the liquid flowing into the suction cup will change the vacuum,*or partial vacuum therein, to pressure which will lift the disk from its lower seat and result in closing the vacuum connection.

I have found in commercial use of the invention that the float will revolve on the guide more or less irregularly. This revolvlng actionof the float correspondingly revolves the cut-off disk which keeps the disk clean and in effect continually grinds the seats to keep them clean andlin perfect seating condition. My invention entirely overcomes the tendency of the systems now in general use to fail on long or steep upgrades because it provides for constantly maintaining asuflicient supply of fuel in the feed chamber for all engine requirements.

I have illustrated and described herein an embodiment of the invention, and a slight modification thereof, which I have found in actual practice to be very eflicient and satisfactory but I reserve the right to make all such changes in the form, proportion and arrangement of parts as fairly fall within the scope of the appending claims.

I claim:

1. In a vacuum feed system, a tank having a liquid ,fuel receiving chamber and a feed chamber, a valved communication between said chambers. a vacuum producing conncction'to said receiving chamber, a cutoff disk adapted to close said connection,

and a vacuum cup operatively disposed with relation to said disk to retard its ,movement'to cut off the vacuum producing connection.

and a vacuum cup adapted to temporarily retard the movement of said disk. a partial vacuumduelngformed in mud cup by the suction from said vacuum producing connection.

3. In a vacuum feed system. a tank havlng a liquld fuel receiving chamber and a feed chamber, a valved communication between said chambers, a movable cut-ofi' disk, a vacuum producing connection opening at one side of said disk. and ,a vacuum cup openingatthe opposite side of said disk to retard the movement of the disk for closing said vacuum producing connection.

4.111 a vacuum feed system, a tank havinga liquid fuel receiving chamber and a feed chamber, a valved communication between said chambers. a vacuum producing connection to said receiving chamber, a vacuum cup, a cut-off disk operatively disposed between the open ends of said vacuum producing connection and said vacuum cup. said disk being arranged to engage the open end of the vacuum cup. when the vacuum producing con- 'nection is open so that a partial vacuum tively large opening adjacent the disk and a comparatively small opening to the receiving chamber so that a partial vacuum created in said cup by the suction from said vacuum producing connection will hold the disk temporarily against the buoyant action of the liquid in the receiving chamber.

6. In a vacuum feed system, a tank having a liquid fuel receiving chamber and a feed chamber, a valved communication between said chambers, a vacuum producing connection to said receiving chamber. a float operated cut-ofl disk adapted to close said connection, and vacuum means operating upon said disk to temporarily restrain the movement thereof against the buoyant act-ion of the liquid in the receiving chamber whereby a quick kickover of the disk is provided when said means is released.

7.,In a vacuum feed s stem, a tank having a liquid fuel receivf ng chamber and a feed chamber, a valved communication be tween said chambers, a vacuum producing connection to said receiving chamber, a float operated cut-off disk to close said connection. and vacuum means operating upon said disk to temporarily restrain it a "must the buoyant action of the liquid in t e receiving chamber so that when said vacuum means is released the disk will have a quick kick-over to close said connection.

8. In a vacuum feed system, a tank having a liquid fuel receiving chamber and a feed chamber, a valved communication between said chambers, a head for the receiving chamber having oppositely disposed seats therein, a cut-off disk operating between said seats, a vacuum producing connection opening through one of said seats, an air vent opening through the other seat,

.and vacuum means operating upon the disk for retarding its movement invone direction. 9. In a vacuum feed system, a tank having a liquid fuel receiving chamber and a feed chamber, a valved communication between said chambers, a head for the receiving chamber having oppositely disposed seats therein, a cut-ofi disk operating between said seats, a vacuum producing connection opening through one of said seats, an air vent opening through the other seat, and means operatin upon the disk through the seat through which the air vent opens to temporarily restrain thedisk from movement from said seat.

10. In a vacuum feed system, a tank have ing a liquid fuel receiving chamber and a feed chamber, a valved communication between said chambers, a head for the receiving chamber having an extension into said chamber, said extension having an opening disposed centrally of the chamber and a horizontal slot, the walls of said slot fornr ing seats, a float in the receiving chamber, a sleeve movable with the float and projecting into said opening, a cut-off disk carried by said sleeve and operating in the slot between said seats, a vacuum producing connection opening through one of said seats, and an air vent opening through the other seat.

1 11. In a vacuum feed'system, a tank having a liquid fuel receiving chamber and a feed chamber, a valved communication between said chambers, a head for the receiving chamber having upper and lower elongated seats therein, a float in the receiving chamber, a disk operatively disposed between said seats and operated by said float, said disk engaging one or the other of said seats substantially throughout the length of the seat, a vacuum producin connection opening through one of said seats, and an air vent opening through the other seat.

. 12. In a vacuum feed system, atank having a liquid fuel receiving chamber and a feed chamber, a vacuum producin connection to said receiving chamber, a ead for the receiving chamber having a slot and oppositely disposed seats therein, a cut-off 1 disk revoluble in said slot and operatively movable between said seats,v and vacuum means operating upon the disk for retarding its movement in one direction.

GUSTAVE C. NELSON. 

